JOY DIVISION

I recently watched a film called CONTROL. The story of Ian Curtis the singer in Joy Division. It reminded me of how much of a "cool factor" this band had back in the day. Great film too.

As an art student back in the late 70's early 80's, I had put away my Zep, Stones and Cooper records for Lou Reed, Bowie, Roxy Music and the post British punk bands like Joy Division. In art school, a group of us were reading Orwell, Anthony Burgess and William Burroughs. And the soundtrack was Joy Division, Tangerine Dream, Dead Boys and Iggy Pop. Okay I confess... and Motorhead too. So when I watched this movie, it really reminded me how far ahead and dark Joy Division was. Today's rockers will complain that Joy Division were talentless, but that misses the point. This was haunted music with a sound that was like no other during it's time. It would be hard to believe now, but It really was different. When the world was listening to Fleetwood Mac, Springsteen and The Wall...some of us cut deeper into the skin of music and found this shaded and mysterious little band.

If you want new punk, buy a Green Day CD. For a caravan ride into the Heart of Darkness, Joy Division is as good a place as any to get the keys. Here's a few records you can give to the artist in your family, who may suffer from "creative block". Start with CLOSER. - wino


THREE RECORDINGS:
Joy Division - Closer
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division - Substance 1977-1980

JOY


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The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, on 17 May 2007 where it was received well by critics, especially for Sam Riley's performance. It also won five awards in the British Independent Film Awards, including "Best British Independent Film", "Best Director of a British Independent Film" for Corbijn and "Most Promising Newcomer" for Riley.

Control is Anton Corbijn's 2007 black and white biopic about the late Ian Curtis (1956-1980), lead singer of post-punk band Joy Division. The film details the life of the troubled young musician, who forged a new kind of music out of the punk rock scene of 1970s Britain, and the band Joy Division, which he headed from 1977 to 1980. It also deals with his rocky marriage and extramarital affair, as well as his increasingly frequent seizures, which were thought to contribute to the circumstances leading to his suicide on the eve of Joy Division's first U.S. tour.